Type-writing machine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ALFRED Gr. F. KUROWSKI, OFNEW YOVRK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR T6 UNDERWOOI) TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,ACORPORATION OFYDELAWARE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 24:5 1915.

Application filed March 1, 1912. Serial No. 680,786.

To all w71 om t may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED G. F. KURowsiii,a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn borough, in thecounty of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Typeriting .Machines of which the followingis a speciication.

This invention relates to means for effecting the line-feeding movementsofthe platens of typew'riting machines. The lineiieeding lever and pawlare usually arrested by a stop which is directly engaged by the pawl. Insome cases, especially where the operator habitually gives the lever asharp blow, the pawl is apt to wear and batter the stop. This isobjectionable because it will permit excessive throw of the pawl, and insome cases there is liable to be an overthrow of the platen. Moreoverinjury is likely to be done to the joints and other parts; and sometimesbreakages may occur.

Y The object of the present 1nvent1on 1s to overcome these dificulties.,To this end I provide means for Apreventing the pawl from striking thestop with undue force. In fact I prevent excessive force from beingcommunicated to the pawl by said lever, regardless of the force that isapplied to the latter. I place between the handle portion of the. leverand the pawl, a spring, which is in the nature of a driving spring, asit communi- Cates power from the handle to the pawl. Should excessivepower be applied to the handle, the spring will yield, and the pawl inany case will not receive more power than the spring can transmit, andhence the force that can be applied to the pawl is limited, so

that wear or battering of the pawl-stop cannot occur, nor can otherinjury happen either to the pawl or to the parts.

The lever above referred to is provided with a direct stop, which takesthe blow of the lever, said stop being so placed that breakage of thelever is not likely to loccur. In use, at the line-spacing operation,the lever is swung against said lever-stop, and the spring yields moreor less, but serves to transmit driving power to the pawl and ratchet,so that the platen is turned promptly but without excessive force andwithout possibility of overthrow;

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective showing myimprovement applied to the .line-spacing mechanism of a typewriter. 2 isa top plan View partly in section.. Fig. 3 is a side View of the springpartlyabsorbing the shock at the stroke of the line-space lever. Fig. 5shows how the spring, in expanding from the Fig.`

catory handle or lever 8. The present imv provements relate to theconnection between said handle or lever 8 and said line-spacing pawl 5.Said pawl 5, as heretofore, is pivoted on a slide 6, whereby the pawl isdriven to advance the platen until the pawl strikes the usual stop 7. nplace of the usual bellcrank comprising both a handle and an arm toengage and`drive the slide 6, there is employed a novel, yielding,driving connection between the lever or handle 8 and said slide G, topermit the handle 8 to make its stroke in advance of theV completion ofthe stroke of the slide 6, and hence in advance of the completion of therotation or feeding of the platen. This yielding connection comprisesline-spacing mechanism. Fig. 4 shows the f so i sov y a short lever orarm 10, which may be pivoted on the same stud 9 that carries the leveror handle 8; and a platen-driving spring 11 may be interposed betweenthe lever 8 and the arm l0. It will be noted that said arm 10 extendsabout at right angles to the lever 8, so that the effect of 8 and 1,0combined is to a certain extent the same as it would be if these partswere made in Vone piece, that is, a stroke upon the handle 8 in adirection longitudinal of the carriage is transformed into a rearwardlthrust to drive the slide 6 rearwardly or at right angles to thecarriage; but, owing to the fact that 10 is movable independently of 8,and also to the fact that the platen-driving spring 1l is placed between8 and l0, the lever 8 is permitted to complete its stroke longitudinallyof the carriage in advance of the completion of the stroke of the arm 10transversely of the carriage. The mounting ofy the relativelyy yieldableparts 8 and l0 on a singlepivot normally keep the "stop 7 with -ingimprovement to existing machines without change in the machines, besidessecuring other advantages. Thus the line-spacing mechani ai, which maybe of usual character to include the ratchet wheel 4 and pawl- 5 carriedby slide 6, is caused to perform its function of rotating the platenthrough the medium of the lever device aforesaid, which constitutes theoperating device.

The stroke of the lever 8 is limited .by the abutments or stops12, 13.The spring 11 occupies a pocket 14 in the lever 10, and may abuttingfaces of the levers separated. When the lever 8 is struck sharply, thespring ll is compressed, or, in other words, if the lever 8 is undueamount of force,l the spring 11 will absorb it. or act as a bumper,lFig. 4; and after the lever 8 reaches the stop 13, the spring willexpand and complete the spacing, Fig. 5, forcing the pawl 5 against thea limited tension or force, so that the blow of the operators hand isnot spent on the stop 7.

The carriage herein shown is substantially the usual Underwoodtypewriter carriage, in which the manually operable lever 8 is arrangedto strike the stop 13, and re.- turn the carriage when the operatordesires to begin a new line. The stop 7 for the line space pawl isarranged to arrest said pawl when the lever 10 is at the limit of itsthrow, and in the present disclosure stops 7 and 13 are so arranged thatthe spring 11 will not be completely compressed .when the mechanism isarrested by both of said stops, so the levers 8 and 10 will not be incontact with each other. The usual spring detent 15 working on theratchet 4 coperates with the stop 7 in properly regulating the linespacing. The stop 7 in arresting the pawl with the lineo locks it intoengagen'ient thus prevents space ratchet wheel 4, and overthrow of theplaten.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a pawl fordriving the line-spaee wheel, aline-Space device including a manuallyoperable lever, a yielding connection between the lever pa wl, and astop for the lever whereby when the lever is quickly operated, it mayexceed the speed of the driving pawl and may be arrested by said stopbefore the yielding connection completesthe operation of the pawl.

2. '.ll'a` combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a pawlfor driving the line-spaee wheel, a line-space device including amanually operable lever, a yieldconnection between the-lever and thedevice including struck with an l the driving pawl, and

and the alining detent for said platen, and a stop for the lever wherebywhen the lever is quickly operated, it may exceed the speed of thedriving pawl and may be arrested by said stop before the yieldingconnection `completes the operation of the pawl.

' 3. The combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a pawl fordriving the line-space wheel, a slide or carrier on which said pawl ismounted, a line-space a manually operable lever, a stop to limit thedriving stroke of said lever, and a spring connection between said leverand said slide or cai-'ier through which driving pow er is transmittedin the same direction from the lever to said slide.

In a typewriter, the combination with a line-spacing mechanism, of amanually operable device for actuating said mechanism, and aplaten-rotating spring between said device and the mechanism forlimiting during the initial movement cf said device the power which istransmitted in direct action to said mechanism in that initial move-vment.

5. In a vtypewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable platen,of a lever, a pawl and ratchet for driving the platen, and aplaten-driving spring intermediate said pawl and lever, through whichspring power applied to the lever is transmitted to rotate the platen.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable platen, ofa ratchet connected thereto, a lever, a stop for arresting said lever, apawl to engage said ratchet for driving said platen, a stop forarresting said pawl, and a spring between the lever and pawl arranged toabsorb power applied suddenly to the said lever and complete the throwof said pawl in the same direction after said lever is arrested.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable platen, ofa ratchet wheel connected therewith, a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel, a lever for operating said pawl, a stop for arresting said lever,a spring interposed between said lever and said pawl, to move said pawlin the direction of movement of said lever, a stop for said a` springdetent alining said platen.

S. In a line-spacing mechanism, the cornbination with a rotatableplaten, of a ratchet, a pawl for moving said ratchet to turn the platen,a manual device operable in one direction to drive said pawl, and aplaten-driving spring placed under `tension by the said operation of themanual device and operating in the same "direction to drive said pawland thereby turn the platen.

bination with 'a rotatable platen thereon, of a pawl for moving saidratchet,

a compression spring to move the pawl and drive the platen, and aline-spacing lever for compressing said spring in its throw, said springadapted to exert pressure in the saine direction to complete the turningof said platen.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and aline-space lever movable in one direction to` drive the platen, ofdrivingr mechanism including' a platendriving spring between theline-space lever and the platen, said spring exerting its tension in thesame direction, to directly transmit the movement of said lever to theplaten, and stops for arresting said lever and platen.

11. In a typewritingvmachine, the combination with a platen, of aline-space lever, driving mechanism between the platen and 'said leverincluding a platen-driving spring tensioned by the driving stroke ofsaid lever, said spring being operative in the same direction as saidlever, to directly transmit the movement of said lever to the platen, aspring for returning said driving mechanism, and a spring detent foralining said platen.

12. The combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a pawl fordriving the line-space wheel, a lever, an elastic connection between thelever and the pavvl to receive driving power from said lever and totransmit that power to the pawl and thereby drive the platen, an aliningdetent for said platen, and a stop for the lever. v

13. The combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a pawl fordriving the line-space wheel, a stop for arresting said pawl, a movablecarrier for said pawl, a line-space device including a. manuallyoperable lever and an arm actuated thereby and actuating said pawlcarrier, a spring operated by said manually operable lever and forming adriving connection between said lever and arm operating in the samedirection as said lever, and a stop for limiting the driving stroke ofthe manually operable lever.

14. In a, typewriter, the combination of a line-spacing pawl andratchet, an operating device capable of sharply thrown movement, andyielding means between said operating device and said line-spacing pawlto convert sharply thrown movement of said device into moderately actingpower movement to actuate said line-spacing pavvl l5.' In a typewritingmachine, the combination with a manually operable lever and an armactuated thereby, of a rotatable platen, a spring detent for lsaidplaten, a

line-space pawl and ratchet wheel, said arm moving said pawl, and aspring between said lever and arm, to act as a cushion, said springbeing of sufficient strength to turn said platen against the resistanceof said detent.

1 6. The combination with a line-space wheel and a platen, of a `pavvlfor driving the line-space wheel, a stop for arresting said pawl, amovable oa'rrier for said pawl, a manually operable lever,l an armactuated thereby for actuating sain pawl carrier, a spring interposedbetween said lever and arm and adapted when compressed to operate thepawl, and a stop for limiting the driving stroke of the lever, saidlever and arm being concentrically pivoted, and the lever being movableindependently of said arm.

17. In a typewritingmachine, the combination with a rotatable platen, ofa ratchet wheel connected therewith, a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel, a device for operating said pawl, including a manually operablelever and an arm actuated thereby, and a spring interposed between saidlever and arm to drive the platen.

18. The combination with a shiftable platen frame, of a carriage inwhich said platen frame is mounted, a manually operable lever. on saidcarriage and an arm actuated thereby, a yielding platen-drivingconnection between said lever and arm, and a line-spacing mechanismmounted upon said shiftable frame to be operated by said platen-drivingconnection and said arm in either of the shift positions of said platenframe. Y

19. The combination with a shiftable platen frame, of a carriage inwhich said platen frame is mounted, a manually operable lever on said'carriage and an arm actuated thereby, a yielding connection betweensaid lever and arm, and a line-spacing mechanism mounted upon saidshiftable frame to be actuated by said arm in either of the shiftpositions of said platen frame, said lever and arm being mountedconcentrically,

20. In a typewriter, the combination of a carriage, a platen thereon, apawl and ratchet for rotating the platen, a manually operable lever toreturn said carriage after a line of Writing, la platen-driving springbetween said lever and said pawl, and a stop to limit the initial strokeof said lever relatively to said carriage. l

:21. In a typewriter, the combination of a pawl and ratchet for rotatinga platen carried on a carriage, a manually operable lever thereforpivoted on said carriage, said lever also serving to return saidcarriage after a line of writing, and a platen-driving spring arrangedon said carriage to communicate the movement of the lever to the pawl.

22. In atypewriter, the combination of a platen, a line-spacingmechanism including a line-space Wheel and a driving pawl therefor, amanually-driven device, and a spring connection between saidline-spacingmech- A applied through said manually-driven device toactuate said line-spacing mechanism; said manually-driven device beingconnected to drive said platen on its initial stroke.'

23. In a typewriter, the combination with a platen and a line-spacingmechanism com, prising a ratchet Wheel and a pawl to rotate said Wheel,said pawl having a limited movement prior toits engagement With theWheel,

of a manually operable operating device for said mechanism, saidoperating device effective upon its initial stroke to line-space theplaten, and means bet device and paWl for limiting the force With whichthe pavvl is brought into engagement with the ratchet Wheel.

Ween said operating ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI.

Witnesses:

B. GOLDBERG, L. L. PRITzL.

